Leading From Home: What Managers Need to Think About
By now most leaders are getting into the swing of things working from home. We have all made it through the initial phases of an unexpected remote work arrangement and kept our teams safe in the process. Some of us may have even figured out (maybe only by trial and error, but it still counts) how to keep our teams engaged and motivated working remotely.
But it’s one thing to lead a remote team on a temporary basis. What’s now becoming clear is that this “new normal” is likely here for longer than we’d hoped. Though in many places we are beginning to see a loosening of restrictions, we also know that leaders in every industry are being called to re-evaluate what work looks like. In many cases, continuing to work at home just makes more sense than asking staff to come back to the office.
If that’s your business, and you’re considering making remote work a longer-term arrangement, there are a few crucial elements to consider in more depth.
The first is continuing to stay flexible, while recognizing that new schedules need to be sustainable longer term now. This means collaborating with staff to balance the needs of the business with the demands of their home life. Work with your team members so that work hours are sustainable for them and fit their lives. As a leader, it’s your responsibility to co-create realistic schedules that meet the needs of the business while accommodating the lives of your team members. For example, team members might need to schedule meetings around nap times, and build in extra breaks throughout the day. As long as the work gets done, it’s time to loosen up restrictions about when the work gets done.
Mention the words “occupational health and safety” (especially right now) and most leaders are less than excited. But, a second crucial work from home consideration is workplace safety. Even though employees might not be in the office anymore, their safety and wellbeing while working remotely is still something you need to think about as an employer. Their home is an extension of the workplace, which means making sure there are policies and supports in place to address accident reporting, ergonomics, and working alone concerns. The good news is that WorkSafe BC has work from home guides, resources and checklists for leaders, so there’s no need to start from scratch.
A third consideration is accountability. When people are physically present in the same space, measuring contribution and outputs is relatively easy. But remote accountability goes beyond setting and following through on project plans and timelines that have always been part of a leader’s job description. Building a culture of accountability while working at home is a bigger “ask” that involves a leap of faith on the part of managers. Leaders of remote teams must truly learn to trust their employees will deliver, while still providing enough support to them in the form of check-points, resources, and nudges. This means formalizing and improving on systems for accountability, while increasing touch points so that everyone on the team is in the loop on expectations and knows what they’re responsible for (leaders included).
To accomplish this, coaching is an invaluable tool in fostering accountability. Get any issues out into the open pre-emptively by asking questions like “What challenges are you facing right now?” or “Are there any obstacles you can anticipate with this?” or “What can I do to support you on this project?”
Not sure what a coaching approach looks like or where to start? Reach out to discuss, as we’re happy to share some ideas with you.